Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-25
TThe Right of Translation is Reserved
CHAPTER xxxv.-oN THE IRAwADDY.

sisted OF IUllN II ,UOU MSu-uIi lAuLely, W
July, increased to 24,184 men-led BY
Major-General Dalrymple Prendergast, 6
veteran officer, who served in the Persian
campaign with Outram, in the wars o.
Central India with Lord Sirathnairn, waf
severely wounded in the battles of Nun
desore and Betwa, won tie coveted '. c..
had his horse shot under him at Ratghur
and was Field Engineer at the Conquest
of Abyssinia.
Among the troops proceeding to Bur
nah in this expedition were the Liverpool
regiment (old Sth FooD and the Royal
Welsh Fusiliers, commanded respectively
by Colonels Andrew LIE MessUrier, Cri,
mean veteran, and John lilly, who had
served with the 23d Fusiliers in the In
dian MutiDy, and oeen one of the ckptors
of Lucknow. These battslions were the
backbone of the Bengal contingent, while
from Madras and elsewhere came the 2nd
Battslions of the Royal Fusiliers, Bed
fordshire, Welsh Borderers, Middlesex
and Hants, ell Queens regiments.
Except the Blue Jackets of the Indian
squadron, all the rest were native troops,
and all had orders to concentrate at
RangooD, where armed steamers and fat
bottomed barges were to be ready for
transport service on the Irawaddy, and
forty-pounder guns-to batter the river
ports-were to be placed in cargo boats.
Meanwhile, we heard that the Burmese
were nusy constructing earthworKs, and
had q gunboet laying down torpedos at
Minhls, and placing fre-rsfts, hulks
and chains across the river TO bar our
passage.
The time given for the Burmese answer
TO the British ultimstum was to expire
on the 5th of November Guy Fewkes'
Day), and hostilities were to commence
on the 18th.
After the concentration st Rangoon,
the expedition was st once to ascend the
Irawaddy and strike q vigorous blow az
the forces of the inhumsn TheebaW in the
vicinity of MinhIs, which was expected to
be the scene Of the first conflict.
Theebsw's reply was long, unsatis-
factory and hostile document, and he
called upon all the loyal Burmese to fight
for the white elephant, their country and
religion, Offering to lead themin person,
and thus ensure victory while the
slaughter of the invaders Was not TO begin
until they crossed the frontier.
In British Burmsh were already the
second Battalion of Lonsdsle's regiment,
the Thirteenth, or SOmersetshire Light
Infantry, and the Royal Scots Fusiliers.
''I made this voyage once before, with
our I'd Battalion" said Montressor, as he
and LonsdsIe trod the poop together, CT
gar in mouth; "snd know We shall see
the uninviting shores of Burmsh to-mor-
row. The run from Calcutta to Rsngoon
is about seven hundred and eighty miles,
and the first point we sight is the Aqua
de Lighthouse. What strange things
have happened to me since saw it last!"
he added.
That evening the muddy state of the
water, through which the tall white
trooper cleft 8 way, portended her ap-
prosch to the shores Of Burmah. This
dark fluid proceeds from the chief mouth
of the IrswsddY, which has fourteen in
all-not one too many for q river thou
sand miles in lepgth-the Nile Of the land
OF the white elephant.
At that season If flows so rapidly that
It's current would be too powerful for !
boats TO stem, we're it not for the aid o.
the southwest monsoon, which sets in |
the opposite direction. Assisted by the |
wind, and constantly keeping within the !
eddies of the banks, the Burmese craft |
use their sails, aud frequently achieve 8 |
more speedy passage at this period-i. e. |
from June to September-than st any |
other. But 1t was naturally supposed |
that the IrsWaddy Flotills Company, with |
Its great feet of fifty double decked river |
steamers, each towing couple or more
rats, would render us independent of sill |
local contingencies.
The rays OF the rising sun next morn
ing tipped with q golden CLEAN the first
point OF land visible on the port bow, the
Aguada Lighthouse, perched on granite
reef and marking the locality of danger
ous cluster of rocks.
1t rises near the mouth of the
IrawaddY, to the height of
100 feet, and has eight alterna-
i've broad aHd deeply painted streaks or
circular bands of black and white; st the
summit 1t is all OF the latter he, and for
| time the effects Of the sunshine on the
water were besutiful. Seawsrd, the way
)ur ships had come, the waves were blue,
)ut tipped with fire SIS they rose and fell;
around the Agusds Reef they boiled like
Molten silver, and far away toward Ele
)hanta Point-so named from two famous
rees which grew there, and in form to-
,ether resembled an elephsnt-they rolled
lpon the yellow shore like LIQUID gold, !
mingled with snow-white foam; and
here it is usual to throw overheard 8 j
ottle, With particulars of the voyage; but
q Qneen's ship no one thought of doing {
hat.
From the brilliantly green and wonder
jungle there starts up,
ear the Point, the bright scarlet cone of {
ruined pagoda. "Guodoma certainly {
bowed some wisdom in selecting such q '
osition for shrine," says writer; "as i
he had once showered commercial t
rosperity on the empire, and placed S
entinel over it at the mouth of one of L
is rivers; which prosperity, on account b
the misconduct OF his devotees, was, E
he the temple, fastening to decay" d
Taking advantage Of the interest caused c
y the land view, in quiet corner b
hips steward, with one or two more, 8
as busy "hnlling'' cssk-which had V
nee held spirits-with gallon or so of g
esh water. s.
"For what is this?" asked Eonsdsle, Ii
/ PEASANT. c
ITO spice the mainstsy, your honor" b
: replied, saluting with one hand and b
iping his mouth with the back of the b
her, as the produce of the cask-pretty
II greg pow-wss quickly disposed of, q
e the eyes Of authority detected It. v
In due time, the entrance TO the Ran lC
ION river was reeched-Sn estuary hsv- B
z low banks, but picturesque aspect, te
lth mangroves over arching Snd droop- B
q iDfO the wafer psIuvraS and many IN